AN internet marriage hit the rocks within months and ended with the husband sending threatening messages to his wife and crying down the phone while she laughed on the other end of the line, a court has heard.

Mansoor Khan admitted a charge of harassment causing former wife Samira Boutayeba to fear violence when he appeared at Guildford Crown Court on Tuesday, and the 38-year-old will now pay £3,015 in fines and prosecution costs.

He entered the plea on what was supposed to be the first day of his trial for the offence, which related to a period between May 30 and September 30 last year.

After meeting over the internet in April 2008, the couple were married in a Muslim ceremony in July that year.

But within four months Ms Boutayeba had called police about her husband's visits to her Dorking home, describing him as “controlling and jealous”, the court heard.

Their relationship was then said to have been rekindled during April 2009, but that was followed by a series of text messages and phone calls in July and August, in one of which Khan threatened to kill Ms Boutayeba.

He also told her she would “die an old lady, all alone and ugly".

On one day a total of 25 messages were sent, the court was told.

Khan also referred to a terminated pregnancy, accusing his then-wife of “having killed his child".

He also alleged infidelity, telling her “I own you” and “Allah himself will punish you".

Phone conversations between the pair were played in court, having been recorded by Ms Boutayeba. They revealed Khan crying and making further threats.

Sonal Sodha, defending, said the interaction was that of two mercurial people with volatile characters.

“While the defendant is someone in a rabid fervour, breaking down in tears, in desperation issuing threats, the complainant is laughing, calm and calculated, taunting him and goading him,” she said.

The barrister added her client had a “stable managerial job and has children he sees regularly”.

Ms Boutayeba also has three children from a previous marriage and has re-married since splitting up with Khan, the court heard.

Miss Sodha said: “The complainant in this case has never worked. She’s still at a tender age and is on husband number three. She has never had to provide for herself.”

Khan told police he had issues with anger management and had sought help for the problem, Recorder Jack Bayliss was told.

In sentencing, Mr Bayliss told Khan: “Over four months you sent text messages of a very harassing nature to your then-wife. On top of that you made telephone calls to her which anyone might have found distressing.

“It’s clear to me that you were quite incoherent for a number of reasons, part of which was anger. It’s going to cause the person receiving those calls a certain amount of fear.

“I don’t know exactly the full nature of your relationship. At least to some extent she felt she could wind you up.”

Khan, now of Basing Street, London, was told to pay a £2,000 fine and a £15 victim surcharge, along with £1,000 in prosecution costs.

He was given a restraining order to prevent him contacting Ms Boutayeba, and warned he may face prison if he breached it.